


Further Exploration

by Hours_Gone_By



Series: Trope Bingo Round Twelve [6]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Awkwardness, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Optimus Prime vs. Datawork, Transformers Plug and Play Sexual Interfacing, Trope Bingo Round 12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 19:47:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18079793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hours_Gone_By/pseuds/Hours_Gone_By
Summary: It was only when Optimus accessed his officers’ inboxes that he understood what he’d gotten himself into.In which Optimus is confused but happy for his seconds, Prowl is uncharacteristically absent from work, and Jazz is a cheeky li’l enabler.An alternate ending toA Greater Than Zero Percentage.





	Further Exploration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stingerpicnic (ibelieveinfiction)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinfiction/gifts).



> Written for [Trope Bingo](https://trope-bingo.dreamwidth.org) [Round 12](https://trope-bingo.dreamwidth.org/tag/round+twelve). Prompt: Friends to Lovers
> 
> Inspired by a conversation with [stingerpicnic (I believe in fiction)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinfiction/pseuds/stingerpicnic) in the comments of [A Greater than Zero Percentage: Chapter Three](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17841590/chapters/42526421) on what would have happened if Prowl and Jazz _had_ taken the day off to celebrate once they got together.

“It’s a Primus-damned shame,” Jazz, lying sated in Prowl’s arms after their first interface together, said regretfully, “we’re so close to first shift.”

For the first time in his life, Prowl thought about being late to work. The private network they’d used to connect was still open between them, though not actively transmitting data, and Jazz caught the desire to be lazy. Of course he did – he probably would have picked up on it without the connection, too. Having a lover who already knew him so well – yes, Prowl decided, he liked that.

Jazz picked up on that as well and sent a pulse of affection through the network. Prowl answered by cuddling him closer, into a happy tangle of limbs and cables. Content, Jazz nestled into him and they spent a few more kliks just basking in each other’s presence.

“A shame we can’t spend the whole day here,” Prowl said regretfully, all too soon. He had calculated precisely how much time they could stay where they were before having to get up, and there wasn’t much left.

“I can maybe sell Prime on officer morale if you want me to try and get us the day off,” Jazz offered, stretching up to put a kiss on Prowl’s chin.

Prowl stroked an audial horn, making his lover hum with idle pleasure. “It is a very tempting idea,” he admitted.

“Tempting, yeah,” Jazz agreed. “Just lie here all day, curled up together when I’m not learning to play you like an electro-bass…I _know_ I didn’t find all your sweet spots, babe.”

“You did not,” Prowl confirmed. “Nor did I find yours.” He slipped a hand between the roof of Jazz’s vehicle mode and back and ran his fingertips delicately along the line of Jazz’s spine. “The thought of further exploration is appealing.”

“It sure is.” Jazz moved his upper hand from Prowl’s hinge to tease along his bumper, play with the edges of his headlights. “Want me to make that comm call?”

“As much as I do want to spend the day with you, I can’t see Prime agreeing to it. Having two of the command staff absent simultaneously isn’t logical,” Prowl pointed out.

“Mmm, maybe he’d say ‘no,’ maybe not.” Jazz flicked his tongue over one of Prowl’s chest ports, where his jacks were still connected, almost certainly attempting to entice Prowl to agree. “I’ve known Optimus for a long time now, and the mech’s more than a bit of a romantic. I’ll ask for a whole day, settle for half?”

The enticement was working; Prowl’s chuckle turned into a gasp as Jazz kept up the delicate licks of his occupied ports. His previous lovers had always stopped playing with those once they’d jacked in. “I-I am amenable to that, though I have my doubts of even your success.”

“Gonna give me the odds?” Jazz teased.

“Recent events have taught me that my calculations are untrustworthy in matters of emotion.” Prowl ran some of Jazz’s cables between his fingers. “Not that I’m disappointed to have been in error.”

“Guess that’s a ‘no.’ Alright, lemme see what Optimus has to say. Gimme a klik…”

* * *

Orion Pax had liked his job at the docks. It hadn’t been glamorous, or high-paying, it had been more than a little predictable, but it had covered his needs. He’d always known what to expect. His job had been steady, it had been consistent, it had had regular hours.

Some days, it was that last that Optimus Prime missed the most.

When Jazz commed him in the middle of his breakfast he expected to have to drop everything and attend, half-fueled or no, to something that, if not precisely an emergency, was high-priority.

Jazz starting out with, ‘ _hey, Prime! How’s it hanging?’_ was his first clue it was not.

‘ _My morning is going well so far, Jazz, thank you.’_ That should let Jazz know that Optimus was fully expecting the saboteur to come out with something…nonstandard. ‘ _And yourself?’_

‘ _Oh, I got nothing to complain about, believe you me. Still, wondering what you’d say to me taking some time off to engage in a little morale boosting?’_

Optimus had been wondering if this request would be coming. He marked his glyphs sympathetically when he replied. ‘ _Is this about your recent tensions working with Prowl? Have they escalated?’_

‘ _That’s a “kind of” to the first, and a “depends on what you mean” to the second.’_

Optimus frowned. ‘ _I don’t follow, Jazz. Do you require time to talk with Prowl? I admit it’s saddened me to see the distance between you two lately.’_

Jazz chuckled. ‘ _Oh, trust me, Optimus, there ain’t any distance between us right now. None at_ all _. In fact, Prowler’s also gonna want that morale-day.’_

Prime’s thought processes abruptly switched gears. Jazz…and _Prowl_. Prowl and _Jazz_. He’d known they were friends, of course, but…

Optimus had known Jazz back when he was still Orion Pax and knew well how his friend loved to tease. He didn’t think this was something Jazz would joke about, but – Just in case he was getting this wrong, Optimus commed Prowl on a separate channel for confirmation.

‘ _Prowl, I have Jazz on another line with a request that concerns you. Are – did you authorize him to make a time-off request on your behalf?’_

‘ _I did.’_ Prowl sent a request to include Jazz on his conversation with Optimus. Curious, Optimus agreed, and the saboteur was added to the comm channel immediately. ‘ _As I’m sure you realize, my relationship with Jazz has become more than friendship. We spent the night together, and I expressed a wish to remain in my quarters with him for the entire day. Jazz claimed he could convince you to permit it.’_

Optimus’ battle mask snapped shut to hide his expression, even though he was alone. Coming from Jazz, this request wasn’t that surprising, but Prowl? Optimus would never, ever have expected Prowl to ask for a day off to spend with a lover.

‘ _It would be greatly appreciated, Optimus,’_ Prowl added.

 _‘Prowler doesn’t want to stop celebrating,’_ Jazz explained, unnecessarily helpful. ‘ _Me neither. So whaddya say, Prime?’_

Jazz’s message came almost too quickly on the bumper of Prowl’s, without even a quarter-nano-klik’s delay. He had to be piggybacking on Prowl’s systems, meaning they were probably still cabled together while they spoke with him – as if they didn’t want to let go of each other for even that long.

Optimus remembered times like that, staying connected with Ariel and Dion just to feel that echo of their presence in his own systems. He couldn’t begrudge Jazz and Prowl their request to take some time just to be happy with each other. Not when every Autobot was always at risk, not when joy had become such a precious thing these days.

‘ _Of course, my friends,’_ he said gently. ‘ _Take your time, and I’ll look after your work today.’_ Smokescreen and Mirage, Prowl and Jazz’s respective seconds, were currently off-base, leaving Optimus the only one with enough clearance to cover for his joint seconds. Well, that was fine – fewer people he had to explain their absences to. ‘ _I will have to ask you to remain available in case of emergencies, of course.’_

 _‘Of course,’_ Prowl acknowledged. ‘ _Thank you, Optimus.’_

‘ _Thanks, Prime!’_ Jazz’s grin was evident, even without visuals. ‘ _See you tomorrow.’_

Prime said his farewells and the connection closed. He sat for a moment, thinking over this new development. It was unexpected, especially considering how opposite they were, but their opposing natures also meant they were complimentary. When he thought about it, he could see it.

Prowl and Jazz. He shook his head, smiling to himself. Strange, but sweet. He was happy to give them a day off to enjoy themselves free of cares. He could handle their duties for a day.

It was only when Optimus accessed his officers’ inboxes that he understood what he’d gotten himself into.

Unpredictable hours indeed.

* * *

Jazz grinned triumphantly as the connection closed and rewarded them for their success with a kiss.

“Told you,” he said, cupping Prowl’s hip. Mech had a great superstructure and Jazz was going to explore every bit of it he could get his fingers on. “Ol’ Optimus is a secret romantic.”

“I apologize for doubting you, then,” Prowl said, amused. Jazz liked the way the fine little platelets at the corners of his optics sort of crinkled up when he did that. It was really subtle, and he’d never been close enough to see it before. Jazz kissed the tip of his nose.

“It was a long shot,” Jazz admitted, “so I’ll give you that one.”

“I’ve learned my lesson, never fear,” Prowl assured him, still with those cute little crinkles by his optics. He teased the edges of one of Prowl’s headlights. “How shall I make up for doubting you?”

“You can roll over and let me get at those doors of yours. I wanna see what I can do to you when I can get both hands _and_ my mouth on them,” Jazz told him.

Prowl’s optics darkened with lust, and he carefully began to disconnect them – best to learn how they moved around each other before they tried changing positions while still connected. Yanked and tangled cables were _not_ fun and bent jacks were unlikely but possible.

“Will this be the ‘going to take my time with you, sweetspark’ we decided upon the first time we tried this?” Prowl wanted to know as he settled himself on his front, stealing Jazz’s pillow to tuck underneath his midriff.

“Oh yeah.” Jazz settled himself astride Prowl’s legs and stroked his door hinges gently. “I’m gonna see if I can reach the limits of that famous patience of yours and make you _beg_.”

“You are welcome to try,” Prowl told him, reaching back to touch Jazz’s knee. “After all, we have all day. We should make the most of it.”

“Oh, I will, Prowler. Believe me, I _will_.”

* * *

The next day, Optimus called Prowl and Jazz into his office first thing. They weren’t holding hands, but they were standing close together, and there was _something_ that spoke of togetherness between them. Optimus’ smile when he put a large hand on each of their shoulders was genuine.

It was still awkward to look at his joint seconds and know they’d spent the previous mega-cycle interfacing. Optimus swore that Prowl – _Prowl_ , of all mecha! – looked ever so slightly smug. Jazz just looked pleased with himself.

 _Or pleased by Prowl_ , a mischievous little processing thread suggested. Optimus promptly and firmly killed it.

“I’m very happy for you both,” he told the black-and-white mecha. “In these trying times, we must find what happiness we can.”

“Thanks, Prime,” Jazz said. Prowl subtly linked his smallest finger with Jazz’s. If Prime had been an average-sized mech he probably wouldn’t even have noticed, but his height gave him a better vantage point.

“You didn’t run into any trouble while we were out, I hope?” Prowl asked.

“I…wouldn’t call it _trouble_ , per se,” Optimus hedged. Prowl raised a brow ridge slightly; Jazz visibly fought back a grin. “There may have been some slight…” Prowl’s brow ridge climbed a little further. Optimus sighed. “You’ve already accessed your inbox, haven’t you?”

“I have,” Prowl said, too professional for his tone to imply he’d been in any way displeased with what he’d found.  “I’ve also scheduled a meeting to review methods of prioritization and am waiting on your acceptance.”

“Well, I’m okay with the way you left my inbox,” Jazz told him cheerfully. “I’ll just – “

Optimus was happy for his friends, but not so much that he would help Jazz escape a review of time-management methodologies with Prowl. Prime sent his acceptance of the meeting to Prowl and included Jazz on it as well.

“Aw…”

A few days later, Prime ‘accidentally’ sent Prowl a notice of an upcoming concert. It was to showcase music written using metaheuristic algorithms and Prime thought they’d enjoy it. Jazz was much happier with that message, and Optimus was happy for them both.

Just not so much he’d let them leave him with their data work again if he could help it.


End file.
